Can You Help Me?
by mmmorangechicken
Summary: Nathan Scott's long struggle after his wife Haley deserts him. Can anyone help him out of this mess?
1. Prelude

Disclaimer: Nathan Scott, Haley Scott, Uncle Cooper, and all references to the WB's One Tree Hill are copyrighted to Warner Brothers. I do not own any of the rights to this, I am simply a fan that loves the series and enjoys writing. I hope you enjoy reading my fan fiction.

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**Can You Help Me?**

A One Tree Hill Fanfiction By Carlos Hernandez

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**Prelude**

My name is Nathan Scott. If you had met me a few months ago, you might be confused by who I am today. I once played basketball, but the pressures of life have been too much to deal with. My father is an evil man that is so egotistic that he ruins the lives of those around him.

He once told me he wanted to break who he's been, but he can't seem to stop the torment that he brings upon the one's that he loves. The pressure that he's put me under over time built up in the past and I even took drugs in my buildup of stress.

My mother tries to deal with her evil husband, but eventually she broke down as well and started resorting to overdosing on prescription drugs regularly. Right now she's at rehabilitation. When I talk with her on the phone, we discuss how she's always wanted us to be a family.

Recently I crashed a racecar into a wall when I was on a test run with my Uncle Cooper is a racecar driver. I had a lot of flashbacks of a very important person to me and I lost control. Her name is Haley Scott.

I met her during all the madness. I was being driven by my father to hate my half-brother Lucas and I was attempting to get involved with his best friend to ruin him. However, I actually did something I never thought would be possible with her. I fell in love.

Over the months our love grew more and more, and during such a rough period she made it all better. I finally emancipated myself from my parents during their separation when Haley helped me realize my rights. During my emancipation one night I was with Haley and I asked her to marry me. She thought I was joking at first, but when I made it clear she was the girl I wanted to be with, she eventually decided she wanted to get married as well.

It was great, waking up every morning and having her right next to me. I'd sleep with my arm over her, which meant a lot more too me than I could've ever imagined. One day I discovered she always had a dream to become a musician. I pushed her to help me get a start. Before I knew it things were happening to her, thanks to a guy named Chris Keller.

After kissing him and getting an offer from The Wreckers to go on tour, Haley left me behind. At first, I just disappeared from the world all together. I stayed inside, a drunk and bitter person. Without her love life seemed so pointless. I visited my Mom one night and she gave me enough money to go back after Haley. I drove and finally found her.

When I found her, she told me she was confused and couldn't decide between the music and being my wife. I left before she could come back from a show which pushed her away. On the way back, I met up with her sister and tried to get something out of her, but realized my heart still isn't ready though her sister already knew that.

Arriving back in town, the hope that I had gained before the trip was once again diminished. Drunk and bitter both became a part of me again. Waking up to a lonely room continued on.


	2. Since You've Been Gone

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**Chapter I: Since You've Been Gone**

There is one girl that I know who seems to be a lot like me. Her name is Brooke Davis, in the past she dated my brother Lucas and had her heart destroyed during their relationship. Before she met Lucas she was an even bigger mess, like I was before I met Haley.

She eventually met a new guy named Felix, but she had evolved from the lost girl she started last year off with, and realized she was better than what he had to offer her. He was just a hateful guy that mixed in with everyone else in his own doubt.

Her best friend Peyton and I have a history together; Peyton was with me when I was in my first mess. They both have tried to be there for me during this time, but I haven't really let them help.

This weekend is Brooke's birthday party and of course I'm just looking for some alcohol. When I finally got there the place was swarming with people.

"Hey Nathan, I'm glad you could make it!" Peyton told me as I walked past and ignored her and made my way around the house.

I found my way to the alcohol and there was Brooke right next to it looking miserable.

"You should be a little more upbeat, your seventeenth birthday only comes once." I told her.

"I'm only here because I don't want to be rude. I feel like I'm better than just a bunch of mindless drunk people, that maybe I'm meant for more." She told me.

"I was meant for more, but somewhere along the way what was meant for me changed." I responded and I started to have some Bacardi Rum.

"Well I really do hope you find your way Nathan." Brooke told me with a look of hope as she made her way to another part of the house.

What she said really meant a lot to me. I've been such a mess without any inspiration to function at all. It's like life has been living me, I haven't been living life. Peyton popped out while I was thinking about this.

"Hey Nathan, I know you aren't into talking to me or anything, but I do want to help you out. Let's get out of here?" She proposed.

"Sure." I said actually hoping for some kind of new hope.

As we left the party I looked up at the sky and wondered where Haley was, and if she too was thinking of me.

"Nathan I know she was an important part of your life, and I'm sure Haley will realize that someday in the future and she will return…until then you always have me, I'll always be there Nathan don't ever forget that." Peyton said with a smile on her face.

"Thanks Peyton, that means more than you might think." I told her with the first smile I've had in months.

Peyton and I ended up at the river court. We just talked for hours and laughed a lot, maybe there was still hope for me.


	3. Too Much

**Too Much**

A few weeks have passed by since Nathan last saw Peyton. He keeps passing by her house every night when he keeps returning to the parties. Nathan is no fool, he is aware that Peyton can heal him; however there is a part of him that feels an odd pleasure from misery.

Nathan arrived at the usual party. The high school girls were drunk and falling prey to the desires of all the wrong guys. Drug addicts stayed in the corners, new people hung close to the true party people. The music was more of a punk rock as opposed to the usual hip hop. Nathan made his way over to the alcohol while completely closed off to his surroundings.

As Nathan entered the living room he was shocked to find someone unusual there…

The blonde hair, Hanes t-shirt, Basketball shoes, and the laugh that was coming from him confirmed it…this was Lucas Scott drunk at a high school party. Nathan had a reflection of how last year Lucas and Nathan had exchanged places, while Lucas became the jerk and Nathan became the good guy. Apparently now they both had hit the darkness.

"Interesting finding you here…" Nathan began.

"Well look who it is. My lovely little brother, how has the widowed life been?" Lucas responded with a smile equivalent to that of a clown and a laugh that was all too similar to that of a hyena in the Lion King went flying out his mouth.

Nathan grabbed a cup of beer and sat by his side and put what Lucas calls the annoyed look on his face.

"Lucas what happened?" Nathan started questioning.

"It's nothing, the woman of my dreams only left to California a week ago." Lucas gave Nathan a smile that was hiding a face full of pain. Brooke obviously was gone from Tree Hill.

Nathan didn't quite know how to help him out. Nathan can't even bring himself to be helped. So he just smiled at Lucas and walked into the dining room, which had been converted into a dancing room.

A tall African American woman dressed all in black approached Nathan.

"Remember me Nathan?" She asked.

Nathan looked at her for a long time trying to decipher who she was and finally was able to figure out that she was the stripper from his bachelor party. He came back to his sense to respond to her, but by that time he found himself in a room with her.

_Maybe I'm drunk and can't even tell. _He thought as the stripper closed the room's door and Nathan disorientated eyes just wandered the room.


	4. All At Once

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**All At Once**

Later that night...

Nathan awoke in a new place. Disoriented, he wandered around the room until everything came into focus.

"You're finally up." A voice said, but it hurt Nathan's hungover head.

Nathan ignored the voice, until he noticed who it was.

"Peyton, what am I doing here?" Nathan asked.

"You got pretty wasted at that last party, I found you in a room alone so I took you back to my house...is that alright?" She responded with a smile on her face and what appeared to be a tendency to laugh, though Nathan did not understand how this could possibly be a laughing matter.

Peyton ran off to the bathroom. Nathan looked around and noticed all the different drawings that Peyton has drawn over the years and he noticed he wasn't in any of them.

"Look!" Peyton ran back with a mirror in her hand.

She put the mirror facing Nathans' face and what he saw horrified him. His hair had been dyed a blood red along with his eyebrows and his skin was a orange color that usually comes with fake tanning solutions.

"When I was dragging you out of the party, I overheard Lucas talking to some black girl about you. Do you remember meeting a black girl?" Peyton asked with a serious expression.

Nathan thought back and then remembered.

"Yah, I confused her for the stripper at my bachelor's party." Nathan answered with embarressment written all over his face.

"Nathan! Wasn't the stripper at your bachelor's party white?" Peyton asked rhetorically with a slight laugh.

"Yah..." Nathan said as he looked away.

Nathan couldn't believe he really got that wasted. He kept thinking that someone must have slipped something in his drink and he could only think of Lucas as the offender.

"Thanks Peyton! I'll catch you later." Nathan said with an evil look.

_I'll get that rat back for messing with me._ Nathan thought as he ran off.

First he needed a disguise for Nathan could not allow the innocent people of Tree Hill to see his destroyed new look...


	5. Like A Man Possessed

**Chapter IV: Like A Man Possessed**

Nathan arrived at Tim's house. Tim's mother opened the door with a great look of disbelief. Tim paved his way around her empty staring body and closed the door outside of the house with Nathan standing by.

"Nathan what happened?" Tim asked confused whether to support Nathan's new look or to look at it with shame.

"Lucas set me up and had a girl mess me up with some alcohol to his aide." Nathan said with a big glare.

"So…what are you doing here?" Tim asked confused as his eyes analyzed Nathan's flaring red hair.

"I need to get myself together before I get back at that punk." Nathan answered with an obvious look of irritation.

Tim took Nathan into his house despite his mother's objection. First, Tim tried to dye Nathan's hair a different color, but the new color was worse than before, and after much failure they finally decided to shave Nathan's head.

When Tim turned Nathan around from the office chair and Nathan looked at himself, he was disgusted by his new appearance. Rubbing alcohol was used to remove Nathan's new skin tone.

"I think you should put one of these on from on." Tim said as he put a beanie on Nathan's head. The timing was convenient since winter had just begun.

"Thanks Tim, I won't forget this." Nathan said as he jumped up and ran out of the house.

It was pay-back time.

Nathan arrived at Lucas' house to find nobody home; apparently Karen was out of town due to the huge mess that was all over the house and the fact that the door was left completely open.

He searched the house for some clue of Lucas' whereabouts. The computer in Lucas' room was most helpful as Nathan found a map with an address in California.

He saw the Brooke's last name next to it and also saw a showing of the tour Haley was playing in another window on the screen

When he got out of the house Peyton was waiting there with her car to Nathan's surprise.

"Heading to California?" She asked.

"How did you know?" Nathan asked.

"I saw Lucas at the airport today heading to Orange County, California when I was bargaining for a cheap ticket there to see Brooke. I figured you would be following." Peyton responded as she headed for her car.

Nathan jumped in and they embarked to California. As Peyton and Nathan made their way to the airport, Nathan could already see Haley in his presence.


	6. Time Forgets

**Time Forgets**

Nathan and Peyton arrived in sunny California. They found a red Chevrolet for rental and began the second half of their journey for Lucas and Haley.

Apparently, Lucas had plans to visit both Haley and Brooke, while he was in California, but an error had been made in his thinking, because Haley would be departing directly after the show, and Lucas had driven to San Diego first to see Brooke Davis.

"We're going to have to split up Nathan." Peyton told Nathan.

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked.

"I'm here for Lucas; you're here truly for Haley, not for Lucas." She said as her left eyebrow lifted at her own realization that she wanted Lucas and not Nathan.

"You're right; I wouldn't travel around the country to catch up with my brother…" Nathan said feeling guilty for using Peyton for the wrong purpose.

"It's alright; I'll drop you off in Hollywood and then head to San Diego for Lucas." Peyton said with a slight smile.

They drove on through the beauty of California. The differences from North Carolina were blatantly obvious, as Nathan looked out the window he thought to himself that settling in California one day would be bliss.

They reached the concert where Haley was, and Nathan closed the door of the Chevrolet, leaving Peyton behind and moving forward to his lost dreams.

Peyton drove off and remembered all the good times she had once had with Nathan, and concurrently with Brooke, how once she made this move she was risking them all. One would think this would put fear into Peyton, but Peyton had the eyes of a gladiator, ready to risk it all to win the prize, which was true love.

Nathan walked up the stairs of the concert to the hall where the band was prepping for the show. He passed Michelle Branch and the rest of the Wreckers, and made his way to look for Haley.

He remembered the happy thoughts in his mind that had died so long ago, the loneliness that he had felt all this time, and for the first time in a long time, he felt the sun begin to rise in his world of darkness.

He smiled as Haley encountered him.


	7. Fix You

**Fix You**

Peyton arrived at Brooke's new home in San Diego.

She was amazed at the beauty of this Victorian, four-story house, and wondered why Brookes' house in North Carolina had been smaller. When she reached the door, there were Christmas lights lit, but no other ones in the house.

There was a single letter addressed to Brooke left on the door in what appeared to be the handwriting of Lucas.

_Brooke, _

_I wish I could have found you today to express to you the way I have been feeling for so long. Since our separation, you have constantly been on my mind, and I really wanted to get another chance with you, but when I finally arrived here in San Diego, and your neighbors informed me you were gone for the holidays, I learned that taking the journey to you was really all I wanted and that I just wanted to take a chance to express myself to you again, even if I failed. If you should receive this letter, I'm still staying at the Hilton Hotel two streets down, for a few more days, though my thoughts of love for you have faded._

_Thank you for all you have always done,_

_Lucas_

As Peyton read the letter her eyes opened wide. The man who she had been so scared to attain was not in love with her friend anymore. She felt that she finally had a chance to be with him, but wanted to tell Brooke first.

Peyton made her way back towards the airport of San Diego, but as she was driving into it her thoughts of Lucas overcame her and as she remembered their first kiss she turned around and headed in the other direction, not yet sure if she was really going to go meet again with the man of her dreams.

Elsewhere in Hollywood, Haley's performance had just ended and as the encore went on for the other singers she ran off the stage to Nathan.

Her heart beat rapidly, with every step she felt desperation, this man who she had so greatly fallen for once and then abandoned, was finally here to see her, her fears of his destruction were immense, but she ran anyway. Her hair was blowing gracefully in the California wind.

When she reached the backroom, Nathan was nowhere to be found. Tears streamed down Haley's face as she remembered their wedding day, and before that, their early relationship together.

_There must be some way this can be fixed. _Haley thought to herself, as she felt pain in her chest. A kind of empty pain, that Nathan had shared all along in their separation.


	8. A Starry Night

**A Starry Night**

The moon was its brightest. The stars looked down on the world lit bright. One star was blue.

Haley was driving to her hotel at _the Hilton_, listening to some songs that had always reminded her of Nathan. One of the songs was "Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot. She could not really understand why this song was so important to her and him, but she felt it in her heart.

She arrived at the hotel and quickly jumped into her shower. She felt destroyed and stained.

As she stood in the shower, hot drops beat her body and she felt the frustrations of the day going down the drain and she was bliss for a few moments, but then she couldn't calm down.

The drops continued to hit her face and tears were falling simultaneously, she was so miserable, Haley wondered to herself how she could ever have allowed her life to come to this point. She had been in a perfect situation, and ruined it all.

_You're so stupid. _She thought to herself countless times as the tears continued to fall.

On the next few floors up, Lucas was getting ready to take a shower himself. His clothes were already off and he was in a sleek white robe provided by the hotel. As he sat in the bathroom he looked in the mirror, and felt like something was missing. There was something he wanted and he couldn't even comprehend what it was.

He walked into the tub and as he began to turn the dial of the tub the room bell went off. Lucas walked up to the door in his robe, still dripping with water off his body, and reached the door knob.

Downstairs, Haley had finished her shower, and was looking off the balcony down to the city of San Diego. It was so much more advanced than Tree Hill, but as she looked down she felt like it was too advanced, like she wanted things to be simple, as they were back in Tree Hill.

She heard a knock at her door and Haley ran to see who it was. She knew she was crazy to think it could be Nathan, she had never told him where she was staying, but ran either way, her heart beating rapidly again.

As Lucas opened the door, Peyton was standing there. Amazed and shocked, Lucas let her in completely confused. His mouth hung open, wishing to question her on why she had came. As his first question was about to let out, Peyton kissed Lucas. Her lips fell sweetly onto his and he felt a rush through his veins and blood.

Lucas felt at peace, he felt like this was that empty feeling he was looking for, but did not understand. Peyton's clothes quickly fell off her body, and they both blissfully fell onto the bed, kissing still. Peyton's eyes locked into Lucas' eyes, similar to the way a key goes into a door perfectly, a key that cannot be copied. The kissing continued on…

Below, Haley opened the door, and found no one at the door. Her heart stopped beating so rapidly and it became a slow beat, as Haley turned to close the door she bumped into someone.

"Oh my god…" Haley said in a whisper as her bewildered eyes looked upon this person who had just carried her to her bed.


	9. When The Stars Go Blue

**When The Stars Go Blue**

Haley fell on the bed and looked up at this man holding her.

His smile captured her soul. This man was Nathan Scott, her husband.

"Why didn't you wait for me like I asked you to when we first saw each other at this concert? I was sure you had left like last time!" Haley said as she sat up from the bed.

Nathan sat up as well on the other side of the bed.

"I wanted to make this perfect, and that moment was not. A moment where Chris Keller is present never could be." Nathan said as he looked down.

"Well. I'm glad you came." Haley said as a big smile came down on her face.

"I love you Haley, I will never stop loving you, but I need you to love me back, I need you to be with me, I offered to come be with you and you declined. The horror that my soul was brought with when you didn't let me come was terrible. I have to be with you. I am convinced there is just no point to life, if you aren't in it." Nathan said as he kissed Haley.

Haley could remember so many kisses with Nathan, but this by far was the best one ever. A kiss after so long of separation, and it was all her fault. Guilt was destroying Haley's conscious.

"Nathan, I don't deserve a great guy like you. I'm scum, I was so selfish to choose my music, but I just, I can't live without you either, I can't bear the torment anymore." Haley began speaking these words before Nathan interrupted her with a look as if he had found something, but instead of it being something outside of him it was inside.

"Haley, I wanted you to follow your dreams, I pushed you into that for your happiness, and I'm glad you have found happiness here, I wouldn't dream of taking it away from you. You have to stay." Nathan said with no pain inside for the first time in so long.

"Nathan, thank you so much for this, for this music, but Nathan…you are my music. I need you, and I rather spend everyday with you then performing, you are all the happiness I need in my life." Haley said as she kissed Nathan lips and he kissed hers back.

Upstairs, Lucas and Peyton had just finished taking a shower together and as the shower ended they filled the tub with water and sat in a bubble bath together.

"Lucas I don't know why it took me so long to realize you are what I want, but now that I see it, I won't ever be blind to it again, you are the one I want." Peyton told Lucas as her legs moved in the bubble bath.

"It's unreal how I feel towards you Peyton, almost as if Cupid came along and just shot me with an arrow, or maybe the arrow has been in my soul for a long time and has finally punctured my heart." Lucas said as he kissed Peyton and the bubbles spun into the air. They both looked out of the bathroom window at the blue stars and Peyton closed her eyes as she rested her head on Lucas' body.

For the first time in her life, she felt safe.


	10. I'm Yours

**I'm Yours**

As the night went on, Haley opened her eyes in the middle of the night, wishing this day would never leave. Wishing it would stay forever, she knew that at least in her mind it would.

Morning finally came and small streams of sunlight pierced the windows of both rooms.

Lucas sat up looking at Peyton rest peacefully. He felt fulfilled for the first time, when he was with Brooke, Lucas had always been happy, but there is a feeling beyond happiness, a feeling Lucas had never felt and this was it.

As he showered, Peyton awoke, and she as her eyes slowly opened, she remembered what happened the night before, and simply wishes to stay in the room forever in those moments forever.

When Lucas came back into the room, Peyton was up and already dressed, apparently she had ran down to the guest bathrooms downstairs to change, she had all her things packed.

"What do you say you and I head to the beach today Peyton?" Lucas said as he let out a slight smile that was similar to the way a child would smile before he was taken to do something he had waited his entire life to do.

"I say that sounds extraordinary." Peyton replied as they both went downstairs to put their things in Peyton's rental car.

Meanwhile, Nathan and Haley went to meet with The Wreckers as she resigned and thanked them for allowing her to tour with them. Chris Keller had disappeared the night before, though no one knows where.

At the beach, Lucas and Peyton spent the whole day talking about music and all the connections that had to each other. Everything was bliss, but Peyton felt fear to return to Tree Hill in a few evenings, fear that everything would fall apart. Her insecurities were beginning to itch at her again.

"Don't worry Peyton." Lucas said as her mind was drifting and she then turned to look at him.

"I won't leave you behind; I will be here for you. Don't ever be scared. I'm here." Lucas said to Peyton, and four days later as they found themselves on a flight back to Tree Hill, Peyton looked out the airplane window with Lucas at her side, and her fear was gone.


End file.
